we already know how photosynthesis is done ; so why cant we creat “artificial plants” that take CO2 and gives O2 and energy in exchange?
In: Biology
Hijacking a high comment:
Actual plants are by far the most efficient way to do this lol, and the only way we can mitigate the ecological disasters of climate change making vast swathes unlivable.
Actual plants, ecosystems, and land use practices, coupled with stopping emissions, which will be easier when we grow/produce most of what we actually need to survive close to home. And because one chestnut tree can birth thousands more and feed thousands of people over the course of its life, the sooner we start planting food bearing trees the better.
This is literally the most elegant and only tool at our disposal. Technologies like the one you’re talking about, going to Mars, all of that is digging our carbon hole deeper when we don’t have time to sink carbon energy into those things anymore.
I’m interested in why the OP thinks we need artificial plants to this rather than just regular plants. What would artificial plants provide that regular plants would not?
Are there any instances where our technological mimicry of biological systems ends up being superior?
Can you imagine the tech it would take to create a seed that you could just toss out your front door into the dirt and a week later there would be a plant there sucking in C02, capturing that sunlight, and spitting out 02?
It’s about theoretical versus actual versus production. Take for instance batteries. Yes we have batteries with layers as thin as one micron. Yes we can make them actually. Can you mass produce it, and make it cheaper than the alternatives? Probably not. Tesla had same philosophy.. it’s easy to make a model car, not easy to mass produce them.
Because people can’t even spell the word create, much less create something like that. so sorry couldn’t resist. Honestly interested in the question though.
They’re working on it. But the way it happens in plants is that an entire organism revolves around the process and keeps up with the needs until it can’t anymore and dies. And a lot of that is done on a microscopic scale with a pretty small energy excess which the plant uses to grow. From an engineering standpoint it’s more valid to take lessons from plants then to try to reinvent them. They can teach us a lot about optimal use of light energy.
Why don’t we just use…real plants? ELI5 for me plz
What would the benefit be of this over actual plants?
What about just taking care of nature?
I think a better question would be we know how to make hard things that aren’t wood…. why can’t we stop cutting down trees.
Why do we need artificial plants when we have regular plants?
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